Opener Device

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises a device having two arms connected together at a first end. At the second end of the first arm the device has a gripping member. At the second end of the second arm is a slitting member. The gripping member and slitting member meet together in order to puncture and tear open a snack bag.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Pursuant to the provisions of 37 C.F.R. §1.53(c), this non-provisionalapplication claims the benefit of an earlier-filed provisional patentapplication. The earlier application was assigned Ser. No. 61/656,624.It lists the same inventor.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of devices made for opening bags.More specifically, the invention comprises a device having two armswhich assist in opening bags.

2. Description of the Related Art

Plastic bags are used for many purposes. One common purpose is totransport and store foods, such as snacks in a sealed form. Bags can befilled with snacks, such as chips, candies, pretzels and peanuts, toname a few. The bags are often closed by heat sealing or treating withadhesive chemicals. These sealing mechanisms can create a seal that isvery difficult to open without the assistance of a tool, such asscissors or a knife.

Several devices exist which are specifically designed for the purpose ofopening a sealed bag. For example, there are several opening deviceswhich use a sharp edge or razor within a plastic cover. This type ofdevice allows a bag to slide over the razor, cutting a slice through thebag. However, there are no devices which effectively puncture and graspa bag such that the user can easily tear open the bag. Additionally,there are no devices which use a dull edge permitting use on an airplaneor by young children. Therefore, what is needed is a device which allowsa snack bag to be punctured, grasped and torn open with ease.

The present invention achieves this objective, as well as others thatare explained in the following description.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a bag opening device. The bag openingdevice has two arms, each having a first end and a second end. The firstends of each arm are connected together such that the arms can pivottogether at the second ends of each arm. A gripping member is attachedto the second end of the first arm and a slitting member is attached tothe second end of the second arm. The gripping member has a grippingsurface and a central void. The slitting member has a series ofsharpened or pointed prongs. The opener can be used to open bags byplacing the bag between the gripping member and the splitting member. Asthe two ends are pushed together the gripping surface of the grippingmember holds the bag taut. One or more of the prongs puncture the bagheld between the two arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, showing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, showing an expanded view of the grippingmember of the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, showing an expanded view of the slittingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view, showing the gripping member and theslitting member of the present invention as they meet together.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, showing the present invention in usetearing through a snack bag.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, showing the present invention in usegripping and tearing a snack bag.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment of thegripping member.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment of theslitting member.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 10 device 12 first arm 13 second arm14 slitting member 16 gripping member 18 connecting piece 20 centralvoid 22 gripping surface 24 central prong 26 outer prong 28 bag 30 user34 alternate gripping member 36 alternate gripping surface 38 centralvoid 40 alternate slitting member 42 openings 44 edges

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the present invention in the preferred embodiment.The device 10 has two arms 12, 13 that are connected together by anyknown means which allow first arm 12 and second arm 13 to pivot togetherand apart. First arm 12 and second arm 13 are designed so that the usercan easily grip the device. The users hand can fit through opening 42 oneach arm 12, 13 for use. Openings 42 on either arm 12, 13 assist theuser in gripping and pivoting the arms into position to open a bag or ajar. FIG. 1 also illustrates a connecting piece 18 which connects afirst end of first arm 12 and a first end of second arm 13 together.Connecting piece 18 can be any known device which attaches first arm 12and second arm 13 such that the desired motion can be achieved. Oneexample of a connecting piece 18 is a rivet which secures the first arm12 and second arm 13.

At the second end of first arm 12 a gripping member 16 is attached. Atthe second end of second arm 13 a slitting member 14 is attached.Gripping member 16 and slitting member 14 meet when arms 12, 13 hingetogether. As illustrated, the device can include a series of arcedopening surfaces, or edges 44, for opening bottles or jars. The edges 44are preferably serrated and located on the inside of each arm 12, 13.The bottle/jar opening surfaces, edges 44, would be arced in varyingsizes which would allow the user to open bottles or jars of varyingsizes. To open a bottle or jar edges 44 would be applied to the top (orlid) of a bottle or jar and the user would press the two arms 12, 13together forming a tight partially closed circle around the top (orlid). In order to open the bottle or jar the user would turn the deviceand hold the bottle or jar in one place. This optional use could beadded to give the present device additional functions.

In FIG. 2 a close up vies of the gripping member 16 is shown. Grippingmember 16 is attached to the inside surface of first arm 12. Grippingmember 16 can be attached by any method which fixes gripping member 16in place on first arm 12. It is preferable that gripping member 16 has acentral void 20. Gripping surface 22 is designed to contact bag (shownin FIG. 5) and hold the bag in place so that it can be punctured andtorn.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, slitting member 14 is attached to the insidesurface of second arm 13. Slitting member 14 preferably has threeprongs, two outer prongs 26 and one central prong 24. Slitting member 14is preferably made of a hard plastic sharpened or narrowed at the endsof the prongs. Although the prongs could he made to be very sharp, it ispreferable that the ends of prongs 24, 26 are merely narrowed to a dullpoint which would not be capable of cutting a user's skin. Slittingmember 14 can be any shape, having at least one prong, such that thesnack bag is easily punctured. In order to easily puncture the snackbag, the slitter 14 is pushed through the bag opposite an open space(central void 20), while the snack bag is held flat against the surfaceof the pointed slitter member 14. The central void 20 on gripping member16 allows even a dull surface to penetrate through the snack bag whichis held taut against the gripping member 16. This is more clearlyillustrated in a cross section view in FIG. 4, which shows the placementof the slitter 14 opposite of the gripping member 16 when arms 12, 13are hinged together.

FIG. 5 shows the present invention in use. A snack bag 28 is placedbetween arms 12, 13 specifically between slitting member 14 and grippingmember 16. The user presses aims 12, 13 toward one another (along asingle plane). As the user presses arms 12, 13 together gripping member16 grabs the bag 28 and holds it taut against gripping surface 22. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, the user 30 can gently grasp bag 28 with one hand30 and device 10 with other hand (not shown) and slowly tear bag 28 inorder to access the food or materials within. Gripping member 16 iscapable of holding bag 28 in place, as the opening is widened by theuser.

The illustration in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 portrays an alternate embodimentof an alternate gripping member 34 and an alternate slitting member 40,respectively. In FIG. 7 alternate gripping member 34 is in a horseshoeshape which still allows for a central void 38. Gripping surface 36 ispreferably textured such that the snack bag is held securely as thepuncturing of the bag occurs. In FIG. 8 alternate slitting member 40 isshown with two prongs as opposed to three. Alternate slitting member 40still has a sharpened or pointed surface in order to puncture the snackbag.

The preceding description contains significant detail regarding thenovel aspects of the present invention. It should not be construed,however, as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing.illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. As anexample, the arms 12, 13 may not include openings 42 and could bevarious different shapes. Thus, the scope of the invention should befixed by the following claims, rather than by the examples given.

Having described my invention, I claim:
 1. An opener device forassisting a user with opening, a bag, comprising: a. a first arm, havinga first end and a second end; b. a second arm, having a first end and asecond end, wherein said first end of said first arm and said second endof said second arm are connected together; c. a gripping member attachedto said second end of said first arm; d. a slitting member attached tosaid second end of said second arm; e. wherein said gripping member andsaid slitting member meet together when said first arm and said secondarm are pivoted together.
 2. An opener device as recited in claim 1,wherein said gripping member further comprises a central void and agripping surface.
 3. An opener device as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid slitting member further comprises a central prong and at least twoouter prongs.
 4. An opener device as recited in claim 1, wherein saidslitting member further comprises at least two prongs.
 5. An openerdevice as recited in claim 1, further comprising a connecting piececonnecting said first end of said first arm to said first end of saidsecond arm.
 6. An opener device as recited m claim 5, wherein saidconnecting piece is a rivet.
 7. An opener device as recited in claim 1,wherein said first arm and said second arm further comprise an openingfor said user to grasp said device.
 8. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said device is made of a hardened plastic.
 9. An openerdevice as recited in claim 1, wherein said first arm and said second armfurther comprise an edge having a series of arcs.
 10. An opener devicefor assisting a user with opening a bag, comprising: a. a first arm anda second arm pivotably connected together at a connecting piece b.wherein said first arm further comprises a gripping member; c. whereinsaid second arm further comprises a slitting member; d. wherein saidgripping member and said slitting member meet together and are capableof gripping and puncturing said bag.
 11. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said gripping member further comprises a central voidand a gripping surface.
 12. An opener device as recited in claim 10,wherein said slitting member further comprises a central prong and atleast two outer prongs.
 13. An opener device as recited in claim 10,wherein said slitting member further comprises at least two prongs. 14.An opener device as recited in claim 10, wherein said connecting pieceis a rivet.
 15. An opener device as recited in claim 10, wherein saidfirst arm and said second arm further comprise an opening for said userto grasp said device.
 16. An opener device as recited in claim 10,wherein said device is made of a hardened plastic.
 17. An opener deviceas recited in claim 10, wherein said first arm and said second armfurther comprise an edge having a series of arcs.
 18. An opener devicefor opening a bag, comprising a. a first arm and a second arm pivotablyconnected together at a connecting piece; b. wherein said first armfurther comprises a gripping member having a central void and a grippingsurface; c. wherein said second arm further comprises a slitting memberhaving at least one prong; and d. wherein said first arm and said secondarm are capable of pivoting together such that said gripping member andsaid slitting member meet causing said at least one prong of saidslitting member to enter said central void of said gripping member. 19.An opener device as recited in claim 18, wherein said slitting memberfurther comprises a central prong and at least two outer prongs.
 20. Anopener device as recited in claim 18, wherein said first arm and saidsecond arm further comprise an edge having a series of arcs.